Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Key question: Can schools afford to pay additional scholarships with uncertainty looming about the college football season?

The NCAA logo is displayed at center court as work continues at The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.(Photo: Keith Srakocic, AP)

WEST LAFAYETTE - On Monday, the NCAA Division I Council voted to allow schools to give spring sport athletes who had their seasons cut short by the coronavirus outbreak an additional year of eligibility.

This is a blanket waiver, which applies to call classes - from granting seniors another year to preventing underclassmen from losing the season.

It's the right move but now comes the heavy lifting - how does each school pay for the additional scholarships and how do coaches deal with potential increased rosters starting in 2021?

Breaking down the decision and how it might impact Purdue's athletic programs:

Who will pay for the extra scholarships?

The schools.

Here's the catch. In its decision, the NCAA did not guarantee financial aid to seniors who want to return. The organization gave athletic departments the flexibility to match, lower or eliminate aid for returning senior athletes that would have exhausted eligibility in 2020.

For example, a senior who was getting 25 % scholarship aid may not receive the exact amount if they return. The final decision likely rests with the head coach in each sport how scholarship money is dispersed. That could factor into whether seniors return.

The ruling will add unplanned expenses to all schools, including Purdue, depending on how many seniors decide to return.

With the NCAA sending less money to schools following the cancellation of the men's basketball tournament and with the upcoming college football season in jeopardy, the financial support isn't available for additional scholarships.

The NCAA announced last week the direct distribution to Division I conferences and schools is $225 million - $375 million less than originally forecasted. If the college football season is canceled or shortened due to COVID-19, it would cause financial hardship across all of intercollegiate athletics with the loss of ticket sales and media rights revenue.

Schools are permitted to use the NCAA's Student Assistance Fund to pay for additional scholarship needs during the 2020-21 academic year. In its latest financial report sent to the NCAA (2018-19), Purdue received $697,941 from the organization, which includes money allocated to the student assistance fund.

That figure amounts to about 16 % of the funds Purdue received from NCAA distributions with the rest coming from the men's basketball tournament.

How many seniors will return?

No one knows for sure. It will vary from school to school.

Before Monday's vote, there was only speculation the direction the Division I Council would go in this matter. Now that seniors understand they might not receive any scholarship aid - or reduced financial support - it probably factors into their decisions whether to come back or not.

How many Purdue seniors could return?

Rosters posted on the athletic department's website list 33 seniors in the seven spring sports, including 16 in track and field. The program nearly completed their indoor season but didn't start the outdoor campaign.

That could open the door for sprinter Waseem Williams to consider returning. Williams set the Big Ten record in the 60-meters at the indoor conference meet and was a first-team All-America in the 100 and as a member of the 4x100 relay team during last year's outdoor season.

"I would never want to end my career, not being able to compete," Strange said in the interview. "Also we were sort of a senior-laden team and we were expecting to make some noise both in the conference and even nationally."

What sports are impacted the most?

Baseball tops the list.

Roster sizes will increase from where it currently stands at 35. The NCAA will lift the cap to accommodate the number of returning seniors. If a team has six returning seniors, who all decide to come back, the program could have 41 players.

However, it's a fluid situation since the timeline to hold the MLB draft and specifics surrounding the event haven't been announced. There's some discussion of reducing the draft from 40 rounds to 10. That could lead to roster openings within programs.

What about winter sports?

Winter sports, specifically men's and women's basketball, were not included in the decision, even though a statement from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee encouraged the council to include those athletes.

SAAC also recommended the NCAA provide immediate support for housing and food and returning seniors should have their scholarships renewed and those scholarships should not be counted towards financial aid limits.